


Wine and Whining

by danceswithhamsters01



Series: Reddit Prompts [93]
Category: Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Friendship, Gen, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 880
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24134764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/danceswithhamsters01/pseuds/danceswithhamsters01
Summary: Based on a prompt from r/dragonage:Prompt 2: “Ignore me, I didn’t see anything.”Just a seemingly ordinary day at Vigil's Keep. This is a follow-up piece.
Series: Reddit Prompts [93]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1153856
Kudos: 2





	Wine and Whining

**Author's Note:**

> The previous piece that inspired this one is "For Whom the Toad Croaks" and can be found @ https://archiveofourown.org/works/23735251

“Just what in the hell are you doing?”

At least the dwarf had the decency to look ashamed for being caught. He looked side to side before rumbling out an uncertain sounding “Nothin’?”

“Right, and I’m a Revered Mother,” Nathaniel said with an arched brow. “Where are you going with that barrel you’re rolling in front of you, hm?”

Oghren wore a faux surprised expression and tilted his head toward the aged barrel that was bigger around than he was and nearly as tall when upright. “Dunno. I’ve never seen it before in my life! Maybe it’s a magic barrel and picked lil’ ol’ me to follow around?”

Nathaniel folded his arms and sighed. “Cut the crap, dwarf. I saw you rolling that in from the landing. You went into the Commander’s supply room, didn’t you?”

The red-headed dwarf bristled. “What makes ya think that? Not that the kid would have any problems with ol’ Oghren borrowing a little something. Which I’m not.”

“We both know that the Commander keeps tabs on her stash like a dragon does over her nest. She makes a mother dragon look downright cuddly in comparison if you mess with her stuff. Besides, the lid has her personal insignia stamped on it,” the human Warden pointed out. “That’s probably her favorite Antivan white in that barrel. Do you _want_ to court her wrath?”

“Aw, sodding nug-licking son of a… I thought it was the brandy!”

Warden Howe shook his head in disbelief. “Excuse me? Care to elaborate on that?”

“You know, the brandy! The one she used to turn that nug-humper into a toad with! I wanted to do some… research with it,” the dwarf said with a smirk.

Nathaniel squinted for a moment before his eyebrows flew into his hairline. Bann Harolf had gone missing overnight after court several weeks ago, only to resurface the following day claiming that the Warden-Commander had turned him into a _toad_ of all things. Naturally, the poor man had been given over to a healer in the city to examine, whereupon he’d been diagnosed with “hysteria” and sent to his family to recuperate and had not been seen in public since.

“You bloody well mean to tell me that those cockamamie rumors were **true?!** ” he sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“The kid ain’t a liar,” his shorter and stouter companion huffed. “I ain’t gonna pretend I know spit about that magic stuff, but I know she knows her stuff. If she said she turned some stuffed up noble into a toad, I’m gonna believe ‘er. Hell, we did errands for a tree that spoke in rhymes during the blight, so the toad thing isn’t too far of a stretch to believe.”

He squinted at Oghren. “Are you drunk? Or just crazy?”

“Oy! I’m sober! Er, well, as close to it as I get, anyhow. Go ahead ‘n ask ‘er about the poet tree! She’ll back me up!”

Nathaniel sighed and shook his head before walking away. “You know what? Ignore me, I didn’t see anything.” He heard the dwarf’s cursing and grumbling as he began rolling the barrel back the way he’d come. He found himself in the great hall when the main door creaked open, letting in a cinnamon mabari with white feet and one rather dusty looking Warden-Commander.

“Ah! Nathaniel! Anything to report?” she asked.

“Nothing at present. Dare I even ask what you were up to?”

She smirked. “I was testing some prototypes from Dworkin on some ‘spawn in the tunnels. Let’s just say that Voldrik won’t have to be in as big of a hurry reconstructing a couple of the doors barring the way to the Deep Roads.”

“Are all mages as insane as you are, Commander?”

Sevarra blew a raspberry at him and replied, “Only the really good ones.”

A notion took him. “I’ve heard a rumor. Granted, it was from Oghren of all people, so Maker only knows where he got the idea from. How drunk was he when he came up with the story about a talking tree?”

“Oh, that one’s true. It spoke in rhyme!” she grinned. “Tell you what, how about I go get us some wine and I’ll tell you the whole thing! The talking tree bit was honestly the least weird part of that. Blocking off those tunnels was thirsty work, so I think it merits dipping into the good stuff from my personal stash.”

 _Shit!_ “Er, that’s okay. I don’t need the wine, but thank you for the offer, Commander. How about we go see if the cook’s got anything to chew on before you start?” he made a halfhearted attempt at a smile.

“Mmph. Fair enough, I’m thirsty, though. And after tromping through darkspawn guts, I think I’ve earned a glass of _good_ wine, not any of that red crap everyone else claims is decent. I’ll meet you in the kitchen in a few minutes.”

 _I hope your stumpy legs moved quickly, dwarf,_ he thought as he scurried toward the kitchen.

An indignant shriek echoed from the stairwell several moments later. “Oghren, what the hell are you doing with that barrel!?”

 _Well, I **did**_ _warn him,_ Nathaniel thought smugly to himself between bites of blackberry tart from the safety of the kitchen.


End file.
